Related Stories

"When I see other parents with their children, I am forced to remember mine is no longer here and I can never hold him in my arms again and hear his sweet voice," Leigh-Ann Worrall said as she read her victim impact statement.

"I can't comprehend how a man who claimed to love Keagan could beat him to death."

The Crown has recommended Michael Monckton, convicted in November of second-degree murder in the 2010 death of two-year-old Keagan, serve at least 15 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. The murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence.

Justice Alex Sosna began hearing submissions on sentencing Friday. They are expected to continue next week.

Many in the packed second-floor courtroom dabbed at tears during the reading of victim impact statements by Keagan's family members, including his grandparents and his father, Dan Davis. Mr. Davis's statement, read into the record by prosecutor Paul Murray, described the young father's bewilderment and sense of loss after his son's death.

"How is someone supposed to live with half a heart when the other half is Keagan?" the statement read.

Also present in the courtroom were several members of Mr. Monckton's family. They have shown their support for the 28-year-old Port Hope man since his arrest in 2010, and continued after his conviction to assert his innocence.

For his part Mr. Monckton sat silently in a glassed-in prisoner's box, saying nothing but occasionally shaking his head slightly as members of Keagan's family attributed their aching loss to him.

Keagan was alone with Mr. Monckton, Ms. Worrall's boyfriend, in their east Oshawa apartment on the morning of Jan. 5, 2010 when paramedics responding to a 911 call found the child without vital signs.

An autopsy the next day revealed a staggering array of injuries. Jurors heard that while the cause of death was determined to be abdominal trauma caused by repeated forceful blows, Keagan had also sustained broken ribs and fingers, blunt force contusions to his scalp, cracked vertebrae and extensive bruising. Court heard the injuries were inflicted in the minutes, hours, days and weeks -- possibly months -- before his death.

Mr. Monckton was arrested within days. He has remained in custody since.

He did not testify at trial, nor did his defence team call any evidence in reply to the Crown's case. In addition to murder Mr. Monckton was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm, but was acquitted of aggravated assault.

The minimum period of parole eligibility for second-degree murder is 10 years. Justice Sosna will hear submissions on sentence from defence lawyer Ray Boggs next week.